The Sam and Caine Collection
by Clocks Striking Thirteen
Summary: "Sam&Caine after the FAYZ", "Neither true or false", "Tinted Glass". "Nightmares" is seperate. All stories are unconnected, but share similar themes. Like... SAM AND CAINE BROTHERLY LOVE! Exciting stuff. NEW: Thoughts on coming home, and how Sam should remember David.
1. Tinted Glass

I write Caine and Sam obsession stories. Deal with it.

This is a collection of some.

* * *

Tinted Glass

(3 months after the end of the FAYZ)

Dark eyes, dark hair, a mouth, a mirrors were stupid. They made you feel like there was something wrong with you, that you were green or purple or whatever. This mirror wasn't tinted, but it was sure doing a good job of making him feel like there was something wrong with behind him was a perfect boy's room. Work on the desk, neat framed photos of him with his friends, him with his family, smiling manically as if to prove "I was happy. I'm having a good life". Expensive stuff. A guitar, a laptop, an iPod, everything else. But nothing had been Caine's room for nearly sixteen he hated it.

Dark eyes, dark hair, a mouth, a he looked in the mirror in his room at Coates- well, that really was tinted. It was the most expensive school in the whole of California but they still had crappy mirrors. They were all slightly reddish and made you look like some kind of monster when you looked into your is what they Academy, the school of .This room was more him than his room at home. More personal. He had been at Coates a while and spent most of his time, weekdays, weekends, even the holidays kids could stay there. Not his choice, his parents. They weren't too happy with their eldest son. They hadn't been so worried when they first sent him to Coates. They had some crazy idea he wasn't too bad at the moment, he hadn't really done anything, but as time wore on they saw how well he was fitting in and realised Coates wasn't a place to send your kids to make them better, it was where you sent them to get them out of the way. Where you didn't have to see them every day. And they still kept him didn't want was a bad influence on their _real_ hadn't known he was adopted then, but there was always something not right. He wasn't like any of his "family". He didn't want to fit in, be average, be ordinary. He wanted to be the best. He wanted to be in control. Was there anything wrong with that? Then again, maybe it wasn't genetic. Sam had never seemed very much like him and they were twins. But it also wasn't like he'd ever exactly talked to maybe it was just he really was red.

He walked-it was viewed as one of the seven deadly sins in the Soren's house to run- down the stairs of his house, pausing only at the shiny mirror in the long, spotless eyes, dark hair, a mouth, a his eyes were worried, panicky. His wasn't ready for another meal with his fake parents and sisters, where they would ignore him, act as though he was invisible until he couldn't stand it anymore and they got into a fight where his mother would invariably point out all his flaws and mistakes in an even, calm, cold, voice. And although they never said it, you could tell they were thinking it: "You're not even our son."He wasn't ready for this again. He would snap.

They had nearly disowned him after the FAYZ. They had just about decided to keep him after realising the neighbours would notice, and start asking awkward questions about where their son had gone. The community might judge them. It was best just to keep him. It wasn't like they would have to see him; he'd be away at Coates. But the way they acted around him most of the time, he might as well not have been there.

He entered the white themed dining room, purposely making a lot of noise. No one looked up. Judith, his twenty year old sister wordlessly passed him a plate of food. His sisters hadn't been too pleased when they found out he was adopted. He had only been adopted by the Sorens in the first place because they had wanted a boy so badly, which they hated him for now. He had never especially liked his sisters. They just had nothing in common. Even more so now. His mother exhaled and said in a very forced way, "So, Judith, Mara, Joanna, how has school been this week?"

"Fine."

"Good."

"I got a A plus in History!"

Mrs Soren's eyes narrowed. "Hopefully you won't repeat that too often, Joanna, or people with start to notice you too much, and think of you as a History freak!" She tacked a laugh on the end to sound table lapsed into silence. His father kept sending Caine sideways glances, as if it was his fault. Caine clinked his spoon a little too loudly against his plate and his father shot him a glare. He knew what was coming. Whenever they started noticing him…

"That's nice anyway, Joanna. It's good to know all our children are enjoying school."Caine _knew_ she was trying to provoke him into saying something, but he couldn't help it.

"Right. So now I don't exist." he blurted mother turned slowly to face him.

"What did you say?" He swallowed. Now he had started there was no going back. It was like all the anger was building up inside him after all those weeks of being ignored over the holiday and threatening to explode out of his mouth. He calmed himself down. One thing he had learnt from the Sorens was how to conceal your emotions under a blank mask.

"I said, why are you acting like I don't exist?"

"Because you may exist, but that doesn't mean I want to hear you talk. Do you want to know why? We don't think you're a real person. There's something wrong with you. We tried to bring you up well, we managed it with your sisters, but you, no."His voice rose louder so he was almost shouting.

"Are you saying I'm "bad"?"

Then his father joined in. "That's exactly what we're saying. And not just that, you're twisted and evil and a murderer."Caine gasped. They'd never brought that up before. He didn't even want to think about it, his father carried on, shouting now, "We don't even want to know you! I'd run away from you if I was a teenager or kid!"

His mother went on in that calm, controlled voice, "You've killed people. You've let people die. You've hurt people who didn't do anything to you."

"I know. I know." He struggled to stop his voice from breaking. "I know I have! The guilt is eating me up from the inside. You don't have to use it against me as well! Tell me you hate me. Tell me you think I'm a bad person. Just don't remind me about the things I was doing three months ago! Maybe I've changed."

"Fine." His mother went on without even an iota of sympathy. "You want to just know the problems we have with you, as a person? You're bad, and you're a freak. We don't want to know you, but we do and we're stuck knowing you."They had never gone this far before. And then she said it."You're not even our son."And that was it. He couldn't help it, anger burst out of his hands, the table cracked and his mother flew through the lost concentration for a few seconds. The room spun. He saw her face, red, screaming

"Freak! Freak!" The rest of them moving away. Getting away from him.

"If I'm such a freak, why am I here?"

"Fine! Go! We don't want you!"

"What?"There was a sudden, ominous silence.

His father spoke."We've changed our minds. You aren't our son. Get out. Get out of here! Pack your bags and go. You don't want to be here either. You don't fit."

"Are you serious? Where am I meant to go?"

"We don't care. It's not our problem any more. _You're_ not our problem any more. Take your things and be out of here in an hour."

Tinted green glass lying on the road, from a bottle, crushed by one of the many cars rushing past. He could see his reflection in eyes, dark hair, a mouth, a nose. Just the same. Just the same as it always was, when he was a little boy and no one thought there was anything wrong with was had a small black bag with his most important things in, nothing else. The rest of stuff was in cardboard boxes, ready to be collected by anybody with the code word Greenfly. He could collect them when he found somewhere to stay, but most likely he would end up in care. Not adopted again. Who would want to take him in now?

He had been walking for what felt like- and probably was- many hours. Four? Six? It was getting dark. His clothes were soaked through and his feet ached so badly they felt like they'd fall off. But what hurt the most was that when he left, no one was watching him walk down the path. No one waved. No one in the family he'd been a part of for fifteen years collapsed on the side of the road. He couldn't walk another was nowhere he could go. No one at Coates had parents who even cared about them, let alone another random kid. He couldn't get help from any of them; they wouldn't be allowed to leave their houses. He didn't know anyone in any of the towns except Perdido Beach. Perdido Beach… No, he couldn't. He could. He was too sore to argue with himself. He dug his phone out of the front pocket of the bag and dialled the number Diana had stolen off Dekka "for prank calling". Sam picked up on the fourth ring.

"Hello?"

"Um, yeah. Hi."

"Sorry, who is this? You're kind of muffled, there's like a million cars in the background."

"It's Caine…""…Caine? Is that you?"

"Yeah… listen, I'm in major trouble and I just… couldn't think who else to call…" Don't cry. Don't sound like you're about to cry… not in front of Sam... oh crap.

"Where are you?" What?

"You're actually coming?"

"Sure. Why not?"

"Um, I'm on the highway… somewhere…"

"What can you see near you?"

"There's a gas station…"Caine could hear him exhale.

"Okay, I know where you are, you're on the edge of town. Stay there, don't move, I'll be there in fifteen minutes."He hung up. Caine didn't move to put the phone away. The rain was crashing down on him. He was shaking and he felt Sam didn't come…

What felt like hours later a car screeched to a halt by the side of the road. A figure leapt out.

"Thanks for the lift, Mrs Gaither." Sam yelled back. Caine watched the car speed away to the vet's along the highway through half closed eyelids and tried to move but it didn't work.

"Caine?" Sam approached him slowly. "Are you okay? Can you get up?"He couldn't. "

No…"He felt a warm arm drape around him and pull him up into a standing position. He sagged and nearly fell but Sam caught him.

"Come on, you can walk. Step… and again… you can do it."One of the longest half hours ever passed in a blur of grey and the feel of rain falling and the sound of Sam's voice urging him on. Eventually they reached Ocean Boulevard. The last few steps were the hardest. Sam unlocked the door and half dragged him over to the sofa where he lay, not moving, until he drifted off into sleep.

He woke up a little while later to the sound of water running. Not more water. He was sick of water. He tried to speak but all that came out was a strangled noise… he was so numb… he let himself be picked up and his shirt and outer clothes be pulled off and lowered slowly into the warm water. He lay there and felt movement returning. He tried to move his toes and found he could. He gradually sat up and looked around the bathroom. Sam was gone. It was a tiny cramped room, nothing compared to his house… to his old house's giant marble en suites but it was warm and felt lived in, unlike the uncannily pristine rooms he was used to at home. No, not his home any more…There was a knock at the door.

"Caine, you alive in there?" Sam."Maybe," Caine groaned. Sam gave a low laugh. "I'll be ten minutes." He looked around and found his black bag with some spare clothes in and pulled them on. He searched around for a mirror and found one inside a cupboard with soap in. Was it just the mirror, or did he really look like that? He fervently hoped not. Dark eyes, dark hair, a mouth, a nose. But huge dark circles to match and a beaten and exhausted expression. He couldn't have that. He tried to smile but in his reflection the corners of his mouth only twitched. He just didn't have any smile left in him.

Sam was waiting outside with about a million blankets piled high as Caine pulled the door shut. He was attacked by them being thrown on top of him before he'd even taken two steps.

"Hey, what are you doing?" he yelled- the fierceness of Sam's tone surprised him. "You are not going to die or catch pneumonia here, or anywhere else."

"Wasn't planning on it." Caine grumbled, but accepted the blankets and followed Sam back over to the grinned, suddenly in a much lighter mood.

"Course you weren't. You're Caine."

"Yeah. Which kind of brings me onto something else, why am I here?" Finally he could ask what had been bugging him.

Sam looked kind of puzzled. "You called me, remember? Oh great, have you got amnesia or something?"

"No, " Caine said. "I mean why did you come and help me out? I'm Caine. You're Sam. You hate me."

"I don't."

"You do."

"You're telling me how I feel about you? I don't hate you. Dislike you a lot sometimes, sure. But only when you're trying to kill me. Maybe you hate me, and I have hated you a couple of times in a big way. But now, no. Anyway, you're my twin. Hating you would be like hating myself."

"I think that only works with identical twins."

"Whatever."

"By the way, right now I quite like you. Except when you throw blankets at my face."

"That's good. So no massive fight where we blow up the town?"

"Not today. Anyway it was only ever because you were the leader of Perdido Beach. Don't take it personally. Actually, no, that's a lie. I wanted to kill you for being you after a while, but I've changed my mind. Things have kind of settled down now, you know, brother."

"If everything was different maybe we'd even be friends." Sam said optimistically.

"Nah, if everything was different we'd be brothers and hate each other's guts."

"We are brothers now."

Caine sighed. "Yeah, I guess we are. I've been a bit of a crap brother, haven't I?"

"Well…" Sam smiled. "Joking. I've been too. I'm older, I'm meant to protect you."

"You're older by about three minutes!" Caine said indignantly. "And anyway, you kind of made up for it today. Thanks, by the way. Hard for me to say that to you, but it's been a weird day."

Sam suddenly got up and ran out the room, leaving Caine wondering what he had said. He came back thirty seconds later with a huge mug of hot chocolate and shoved it at Caine.

"What is it with you and shoving things at my face?" Caine moaned. "And why are you being so nice to me? It's annoying."Sam only smiled again. It was like he was doing Caine's share of smiling too. He was irritatingly happy.

"Why are you so happy?"

"You're alive." He said simply.

It was late and they had been talking for hours. Catching up on people from Coates and the town and just generally finding out about the things they didn't know about each other. Like Sam's favourite colour was blue, he loved the sun, hated algebra and wanted to become a professional surfer. He was also scared of the had talked about himself too, told Sam how his favourite colour was deep red-purple, he secretly loved watching sunsets, he hated fish and wanted to become supreme ruler of the world. Which came as no great surprise to Sam. He told Sam what he'd told no one, he had never dated a girl before talking a little about deeper things too. He told Sam about his family. Sam told him about how he barely saw his mom anymore. He was also the only person who could really understand what he felt about the FAYZ. The mixed up emotions, mainly guilt and they got tired of talking they randomly looked up their horoscope in the paper;

On the one hand you may think you've met a deadline and done everything required. On the other you could be unsettled by news from someone new to the scene. Their take on a situation could be very different. All this could leave you in a muddle - and once again impressed by those who carry on day to day affairs regardless of confusion. Your own inspiration could come from them, music and those involved with the Arts.

They tried to figure out what it meant but gave up. Caine was half asleep by then so Sam squished a sleeping bag into his room and insisted Caine take the bed. Caine had only been in Sam's room once before, when he was searching the house to find out his power. It was the same, but totally different seeing it through new eyes. The posters on the wall, the photos, even the work in a heap on the floor. He nearly fell asleep straight away, but kept awake long enough to ask sleepily, "Sam? Why are you being so nice to me?" He only stayed awake long enough to hear the reply.

"You're my brother."And then he fell asleep.

Caine woke up in the middle of the day.

He looked around for the mirror. He hoped it wasn't tinted. But there wasn't one.

He smiled for the first time in a long time.

Why was he smiling so much? He was Caine Soren. He didn't get overexcited over nothing.

But he wasn't. He was just Caine now. Not Caine Soren.

Maybe just Caine could smile.


	2. Sam& Caine after the FAYZ

This was my first Sam and Caine obsession, originally written in an orange notebook with a caterpillar on the front. After that it was published as a sepeate story in chapters (shown by line-breaks), but now it has joined the monster collection.

No connection with Tinted Glass. Please do not consider this my actual opinion on events after a huge disaster. Read as fiction. Read at your peril.

* * *

Caine Soren flipped up his phone and spoke into it casually. He was seated at his place of honour at the head of the table. His "followers" were hanging onto his every word.

"Hey Caine"

"Hey Sam"

Sam Temple paused awkwardly. It _was_ a bit awkward. Just a bit. "Listen… I got your note…"

The neatly folded note addressed Twin carefully in slanted writing which read;

_S,_

_Hopefully the FAYZ has ended by the time you get this._

_It's weird after everything but you are my brother- we share the same genes and stuff, I want to talk._

_Call me on 077777 77777_

_C_

So he had. Because, strangely enough, he wanted to talk too. "Oh yeah"

"And I figured I'd rather talk to you than do algebra." Caine grinned.

"One second…" In the background Sam could hear voices piping up; "Who is it? What's he saying?"

"Huh? Oh, I'm chatting with my big brother." This took a second to register.

"No way. **You **are not "chatting" with Sam"

"Fine, don't believe me then." Sam could hear the smile in his voice. "Sorry about those idiots" Caine said.

"No problem. But pass on my hellos, though."

"Ok. Taylor! Jack! Brianna! Dekka!" They expressed surprise at the words from "Fearless Leader" in a few short sharp words.

"And what?" went on Brianna. "What does the supreme ruler of the world want with us?"

"Cool it, Brianna. Sam says hi."

Her eyes darted to Caine's mobile. There was an ear-splitting screech.

"You're on the phone to him!" Dekka's voice rose several octaves and Taylor's eyes bulged. Jack grabbed the phone.

"Jack! What the hell?" said Sam's voice through the phone.

"It **is **him" said Diana who, of course had been watching the whole scene along with the rest of the table. Jack blushed.

"Sorry. It's… the newest phone. I had to see it."

"JACK," groaned Brianna. "You're hopeless. Why am I dating you?" Jack ginned lopsidedly.

"Ok. After this lovely techie talk, can I have my mobile back?" Caine sighed. Everyone made a grab for the phone. Caine was, after all, the undisputed leader.

"Hello?"

Sam had hung up.

Later that evening

Caine had left his posse and was sprawled on his bed listening to music. His phone bleeped.

HEY LITTLE BROTHER

SOZ 4 HANGING UP B4. MUM MADE ME DO ALGEBRA H/W.

SPEAK SOON K?

MUM WANTS U 2 COME OVA 4 THE WEEKEND

SAM

Sam's phone bleeped. He paused the song to read it.

HEY BIG BROTHER

K NO PROBLEM LOL ALGEBRA

NOT SURE I CAN GET OUT OVA WEEKEND. WISH I COULD- COATES DRIVING ME MENTAL

CALL U L8ER

CAINE

* * *

L8er

Sam was waiting for Quinn outside school. Just like normal. But it was weird how much had changed since before the FAYZ. For one, a crowd of people was waiting with him. Dahra, Edilio, Ellen, and most importantly his girlfriend Astrid. Not a big crowd, but different.

"Hey brah, your mobile," said Quinn coming out of school with a very un- Quinn like expression of worry.

"Um … I think it's Caine."

"What?" Sam looked sheepish.

"What?" Astrid repeated.

"Well that's kinda what I was about to tell you."

"You're like, friends with him?" Dahra giggled.

"Kind of."

"Ok… are you joking or do you have mental problems?" asked Edilio, hiding a smile.

"No, it's true. Listen; He is my twin. We would have been, should have been friends. Everyone did things they regretted in the FAYZ. But now it's over. We all need a fresh start."

Astrid raised an eyebrow. "Very nice speech Sam. Time will tell if you can suppress the urge to kill each other." They arrived at Sam's house and he went inside to read the text.

S

URGENT URGENT URGENT- I CAN GET OUT OVA WEEKEND! APPARENTLY WE ALWAYS CAN BUT OUR PARENTS NEVER BOTHER TO COME. I FEEL SO LOVED.

ANYWAY THE OFFICE SAY IT'S SORTED.

CAN'T WAIT

C

C

REALLY? OK DO YOU WANT ME 2 PICK U UP? MUM WILL PROBS B ASLEEP.

C U

S

SURE

BET U CAN'T WAIT TO SEE ALL THE COATES KIDS AGAIN.

C

* * *

4:15 Friday

"Sam! Get your board!" Quinn yelled over the babble of voices leaving school.

"Can't, Quinn," yelled back Sam. "Going up the hill, remember?"

"Oh yeah. Does Caine surf?"

"Don't think so. Not much sea in a school. See you!"

Caine drummed his fingers against the desk. He was impatient for the day to end. Diana was sitting next to him, looking at him like he was crazy. Maybe he was. He hadn't told anyone yet, he was waiting to see their faces when Sam turned up at Coates! The minutes ticked by. Finally, the bell went. Caine grinned and walked off, knowing the rest would follow.

Sam checked his watch and sped up a little bit. He was a bit worried, maybe Astrid had been right about him not being able to face Caine normally. The last time he saw him, well he was trying to blow his head off! This was stupid. He passed a rock that looked a bit like Taylor. At least he would see all the Coates kids on his side. In the distance he could see the huge building. He laughed to himself. Gardeners and builders were rushing around trying to fix the damage and make Coates Academy its pristine self again after all the damage to it. He sidestepped a giant wheelbarrow and went up a path into the gleaming entrance hall. He noticed not too many doting parents were waiting. Heads turned as he came in. Apparently he was not one of the regulars.

"Caine! Where are we going?" said Diana impatiently . "No-one's getting picked up, stupid."

Caine kept on walking and turned a corner into the entrance hall.

"What!" Fredrico stopped in his tracks. Sam Temple stood in the entrance hall, reading "The Coates Rulebook- 2010 edition"*. He looked up and grinned. He went over to Caine.

"You didn't tell them, did you?"

"Well…" He grinned back.

Everyone was too shocked to speak.

"Caine…" managed Diana.

"Got your stuff?" asked Sam.

"Uh huh."

They looked at each other and burst out laughing. They were still laughing weakly two minutes later. Everyone was waiting for them to yell "April Fools!" or something when the others turned up to see if it was true.

"Saaaam!" yelled Brianna, always first everywhere. "I'm moving back into town next term!"

"Hey!" said Taylor, a close second. "What are you doing here?" All of a sudden the room was flooded with people.

"Um. Hey everyone. Listen, we kind of have to go but it was great to see you guys again. Miss you lots. Even you, Diana." Sam said.

"You and who?" Dekka wanted to know. "Please take Jack."

"Me and him" drawled Caine.

"Um, yeah right" said Jack (standing on a chair)

"No, it's true," said Sam. "Come on, Caine."

They left the crowded hall together. Everyone stared.

"That was the funniest thing," said Sam as soon as they were out of earshot. "Just checking though, are you going to try to kill me?"

"Hmm… I'll have to keep thinking about that one. Maybe." Caine grinned and extended his hands. Sam felt himself rise slowly off the ground. He did a forward roll midair then his brother gently lowered him back down again.

"Wow. That was actually fun. Would you like a demo of my power?"

"This is where I become a burnt marshmallow, right?"

"Yeah. I like marshmallows. What's your favourite food?"

"Yoghurt."

"Animal?"

"Sheep."

"Colour?"

"Purple. You?"

"Blue. Come on. See the beach? We live around there."

* Coates Rulebook 2010 Edition

1) No, Caine is not in charge of the school

2) No, you cannot kill the teachers

3) Yes, you must do some work

4) You are not troubled. You are just special in your own way.

5) Be happy!

continued for 1342 pages

* * *

Sam and Caine waited tensely for Mrs Temple to get off the phone. They had just arrived at the tiny bungalow and were sitting in Sam's cramped room listening to "The Beach"*.

Finally:

"Fine! You should know I am not at all happy about this- but I'll be there."

She hung up and turned to Sam and Caine.

"Listen, I can't tell you how angry I am but Grace just called to say there was an emergency and I had to be at Coates early. This has to be the worst timing in the world but the girl who fell, Louise, needs me. I'll be back as soon as I can- but for today you two will be ok on your own, won't you?"

The door slammed shut in a final sort of way and they were left alone.

There was an awkward silence.

Caine stood up. Sam guessed the weirdness of not trying to kill him had disorientated him.

"So you're obsessed with surfing then" he said, pointing at a poster of some semi- famous guy in a wetsuit. "I guess I don't really know anything about you. Is it weird living near a beach?"

"Nah, not as weird as living in school would be. I mean, my teachers? In pyjamas? Scary thought. Anyway, do you want to see Town Beach? I can teach you to surf?"

"Sure. Been ages since I've been to a beach. After my parents rejected me, they tended to avoid family holidays."

There wasn't really much to say to that.

As they were getting ready, there was a loud pounding at the door. It wasn't locked and Astrid burst in.

"Oh…" she stammered, looking around. Sam loved this. She looked so… confused, not a word he or anyone else ever normally applied to Astrid. Sam decided to tell her what was going on.

"Mum's out. We're going to the beach. We're not in a murdering people kind of mood today. Do you and Quinn want to come?"

Half an hour later they were walking down the street, trying to ignore all the stares. Of course this was all really political. Going to the beach? Some huge statement. Unfortunately all the responsibility hadn't gone with the FAYZ. Regular meetings with the mayor were woven into everyday life, each one a horrible reminder of what had happened. But today there was nothing important except his lovely family reunion.

*new album from Adriana Gel about being in the FAYZ. More on

adrianna_is_a_minor_little_character_and_nobody_cares_about_her

* * *

The beach was packed with surfers, sunbathers and sand castle makers. Caine didn't really blend in but there was no way he could ever stay on a surfboard and would have looked weird in a bikini. And sandcastles were just for losers.

"Sam! Astrid! Hey Quinn. Caine?" Oh. Joy. More townies were here and guess what? He knew all of them.

"Look! A double date- isn't that sweet. Mary and Albert with Cookie and Dahra. And Howard." said Quinn with a smirk.

"Shut up." Howard gave Quinn a look made him wish he would stop hanging around with Orc. "That is _so_ not true."

Caine guessed he should make his presence known. "Actually, Howard isn't a loner really. Didn't you know about him and Jill? Would be cute if it wasn't so wrong."

Howard gave him a dirty look. "Who invited you?"

"Astrid. Duh. Who do you think invited him Howard? Noticed two people not killing each other for once?" said Mary.

Astrid, Dahra and Mary lay on blue beach towels sun tanning. Sam and Quinn were surfing. Albert and Cookie were in a heated debate about the nutritional value of cookies. That left Caine to talk to Howard. For the second time he found himself wishing Sam was there. And the first time he was in a cave with everyone dying around him and a monster trying to kill him and rule the world, so it didn't really count.

Howard started the conversation. "Did I mention how much I hate you?"

"Nope. But I guess now I know."

"Fine."

After that there wasn't too much to say. Caine watched the surfers and thought about the meaning of life. Then he got bored and just watched the surfers. Sam and Quinn were probably the best, you could tell they had spent most of their life in the water. A loud noise made him spin around. A small kid had spotted him and was yelling. Great. He only had to go to the beach to scare people.

Finally Quinn came back, splashing water over everyone and everything. "Hey guys, some more people are coming, so we're going to make a fire, Sam's getting wood."

Yay. More people to hate him. That made the count 100...no 200? Oh yeah. Everyone. Well maybe that wasn't true. Sam seemed to be ok with him now, which was surprising as he had sort of had his leg shot off and stuff. And Quinn and Astrid at least didn't openly despise him. Diana? She would always be a mystery. And Nurse Connie Temple. What made her give him away? She can't really have liked him but hey. Think positive, like those stupid counsellors used to say. Hmm. Yeah, she hated him.

Sam…it was getting easier not to kill him. It wasn't like they ever emailed and facebooked and stuff, but it was a start.

From: little_balls_of_light

To: caine_rules_the_world, astrid_at_genii , super_surfer

Subject: I HATE SCHOOL

Hey. Bored out of my mind in maths. Somebody kill me.

x

It was a start.

* * *

They sat round the fire- the over 11s who had been in the heart of the FAYZ. It was midnight and the beach was empty apart from the flickering shadows and the waves hitting the rocks. Sam didn't like to use his power a lot now in case it got out of control but it made an almost supernatural fire. There was no sound but the sea.

"Do you miss it?" said Astrid suddenly. She didn't need to explain what she was talking about. Everyone's minds were on it anyway. "Is there anything you miss? The independence, the power, the adventure?"

They went round the circle. Albert of course missed being important. Astrid missed the link to her brother. Edilio missed being normal. Quinn missed fishing. Everyone had one thing, big or small they missed. Except him.

"Sam?" said Lana. "What do you miss?"

Sam didn't even need to think about it. "Nothing." he said.

"But you're you. You were the mayor. Everyone listened to you."

"No" he repeated. "I never wanted it."

They absorbed the information. Everyone had forgotten how he used to just blend into the background. That wasn't going to happen again anytime soon.

Zil spoke now. "I never knew that."

"Never too late to learn, is it?" Everyone turned to the person who had said that. It was Caine. His brother. A concept that was still hard to grasp. Astrid had left him out, thinking he would talk about power, but Sam didn't think he would.

Caine sifted sand between his fingers as he spoke. "You all don't know what it was like. Sure, you did some stuff you regretted, but it's not the same. Knowing your decisions kill. Knowing it was your fault. Knowing… But me, maybe you think I didn't care about getting kids killed. And it's true, I was a heartless bully- but everything I did I felt guilty. It's a whole different thing. And there's nothing I miss either." The flames suddenly sizzled fiercely, as if adding weight to his words. Sam stood up.

"Getting more wood." he said, walking towards the cliff face. "Caine?" Caine nodded, and followed. There was silence around the fire.

Sam walked slowly to where his and Quinn's favourite hideout had been when they were little. It was a meaningless little alcove- but it could be a crispy meaningless little alcove when they were done talking. Not that he wanted it to end up as a fight. He had mixed feelings about Caine but one thing he know was that they had blood ties. However much he had done wrong there would always be that, a strong link which made it a bit of a love-hate relationship. But… there was something in Caine's eyes just now that made Sam doubt he was being untruthful. While they were joking around they could just pretend nothing had happened but all this plain truth mean they needed to face the facts. They _had_ wanted each other dead. They _had_ hurt each other. They _had _tried to kill each other. There was no forgetting that.

"So. We can't go on like this. Can we just forget everything? Probably not." Caine's deep brown eyes pierced Sam's eyes of exactly the same shade.

"No. But right now? I'm not trying to kill you, and I don't think that will ever happen again. I'd stand by you in a fight. Would seem odd, but I would." Sam wasn't entirely sure the full effect of what he had just said but it felt right. They sat looking at each other until Caine broke the silence.

"Tomorrow," he said suddenly. "I go back to Coates. But just for a term. I don't what will happen to me afterwards. Maybe adoption again. My parents, they don't want me any more. I've changed, Sam. And there's nothing I could or would do about it."

* * *

**Caine POV**

Hey Caine. What's up? In Florida at the moment on a summer camp but no worries, I'll keep writing! Have you got msn? I really need to know when I can talk to you about something important. Oh yeah, how's Diana? You two proper going out yet? Ask her to a movie- we can have a double date! Or not.

Reply soon

Your loving brother

Sam xx

Caine laughed. He had been in such a depressed mood since he had come back from Perido beach, he couldn't really remember what his laugh sounded like. A bit like Sam's, actually. His letters were so stupid and random but no-one else really wrote to him and he was a bit stressed. It was all work, work, work, work, work.

"Children! You have missed so much school due to that… unfortunate bubble you really must try your hardest and strive to achieve great things now!"

Huh. He _had_ achieved great things. In charge of the whole area know as the FAYZ for a while and a successful politician all before the age of 15. What did Pythagoras matter anyway? He probably didn't care whether Caine did his maths homework. This all logically reasoned, he set off in search of Diana.

**Diana POV**

"Diana! Diana where are you?" Diana heard Caine's call but didn't look up- he would find her soon. Sure enough, after half an hour of searching he burst in to the nurse's room.

"Diana! Didn't you hear me calling?"

"Nope. Sorry, I was busy trying to get past your big head. Seriously, Caine, do you really think every time you call people will come running to you?" It was kind of awkward between them at the moment, what with the whole going_into_radioactive_caves_to_save_her thing.

"Um… yeah?" she rolled her eyes at him. She had to keep up her image- even if she…if she… she loved him. Not that she did. Of course she didn't. At least, that's what she had told herself so many times she had started to accept it. He was really cute when he was being overprotective through.

"Why are you in here? Are you dying? Wait, I'll get help."

"No."

"Ill?"

"NO!" she yelled. "Why are you always like this? I came to get something for my hay fever- leave me alone! And why are you here?" She wasn't really that angry at him but she felt like doing some yelling.

He mumbled something unrecognisable.

"What?"

"Do you want to… go and um, see a movie? Together?"

"Hah. I thought you'd never ask."

**Caine POV**

Three hours later Caine was waiting nervously outside the intimidating gates of Coates. They had agreed to meet there because they were- gasp- going on a date, something the head teacher would never allow them to do. So they had to be sneaky and use the influence they still had to create diversions and slip out. But Diana still hadn't turned up. Maybe… maybe this was all just a joke and she was laughing about it with her frie- no, she didn't have any girly friends who would do that. She didn't really have any friends at all, people wanted to be but she turned them all away. So where was she?

"Caine!" a voice hissed. His heart leaped. She had come! But she didn't sound that happy.

"Where are you?" he called.

"I'm… I'm stuck up a tree. I never liked climbing that much." Caine looked up and it was true, she had got stuck trying to get over. She was covered in leaves and looked cross.

"This is just such a great date so far. Get me down." He used his power straight away, raising her a little higher that he actually needed to and setting her down next to him as softly as possible. He guessed he was still trying to impress her a bit. But she didn't look impressed.

"On the other side of the gate, idiot. I'm going back to school. You know, I was right the first time. It's a bad idea to date you."

Great. Just great.


	3. Neither true or false

Neither true nor false

A/N This is a story I was all ready to scrap because of its crapness, but it's November 22nd, Sam and Caine's birthday, and I needed a present for all Sam&Caine lovers out there. Come on, I know there are a few of us. So here it is in all its cheesiness, try and NOT to read it if you're not searching for a sentimental unrealistic OOC failed bonding type story. Please, try really hard. It makes me cringe thinking of all the real people who might accidently read. Oh, I don't own Gone or the shameless copy of the Devil wears Prada. Okay, if you think you're ready... go for it.

* * *

"_He… he believes that," Toto said. But he was frowning, perhaps sensing something about Caine that was neither true nor false._

Caine was sitting on the rocks, waiting, alone, just like he had promised. Sam had expected he wouldn't follow through with it, maybe turn up with a dozen armed kids. He was half disappointed. Now he would actually have to talk to Caine. He approached slowly across the dusty plains of Bitterweed Valley. The halfway point. It was used for trading usually, but today wasn't a trading day and the desert was as deserted as it would have been back in the world.

Caine turned around as he took the last few steps. "I was starting to think you weren't going to turn up." His tone was light, but as always with Caine appearances didn't mean anything.

Sam matched his. "Just the trek across miles of desert slowing me down a little."

"Right." Caine said unsmilingly. "Nothing to do with Diana, is it?"

Oh, here goes. "I don't know what you're talking about." Sam knew he wasn't going to take easily Diana switching sides. There would be something. Whatever it was he had heard and jumped on, assuming in was true. Because that was just Caine.

Caine stood up, suddenly angry, his mask suddenly cracked.. "I know you do, so just don't try to hide it. There's something going on with you. Taylor saw…"

"What? What did your precious little spy see?"

"Bug's been spying on you for months, don't get worked up about Taylor. She has a strong power. I don't know _why_ you didn't use her more when you had her."

"Stop talking about her like an object. She didn't want-"

"She sees you in Diana's house all the time, brother." There was a dangerous glint in Caine's eye which Sam didn't like. He also stood up.

"I didn't come here to listen to all of this. There is absolutely nothing going on between me and Diana. Nothing! Can we please _get to the point_?"

Caine exhaled and sat back down slowly. "Fine." He motioned for Sam to sit down. In charge. In his infuriating way. Sam sat. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing's _wrong_…" Sam said

Caine rolled his eyes. "Please. I haven't seen you or any of your people in four months and I get a message saying you have to meet with me. Add to that the fact we hate each other and are having a hard job of not killing each other right now. Something's wrong."

You wouldn't know by looking at him he would want to kill anyone. He was so composed and together. But there was still something fake about him. "Yeah, well, we all know this whole lake and town thing isn't ideal for anyone."

"I'm waiting."

"I'm dying." It had just burst out of him all of a sudden, just like that. And now he couldn't take it back. Caine was looking at him with an unintelligible expression which seemed somewhat genuine. "What?" He said softly. Sam had expected him to shout, or yell, or scream or… something. "_What_ did you say?"

"I know you heard me, so just…"

"Shut up?"

"Yeah, that."

"Brother, you don't really expect me to shut up about something like that," Caine ranted. This was more his style. "Why? How? Who? When?"

Trust him. "Last week. The coyotes. I was in the forests for some stupid… and I forgot. Forget they… It's an infected bite and for some reason Lana can't heal it. Stupid mutant bites. She's tried, everyone's tried, they've done all they can but none of it helped. I'm getting weaker, they think I have… have a few days."

"Days? Jeez, Sam this is just…"

"Tell me about it."

"Who's going to be in charge of the lake?" He obviously regretted saying that and quickly tried to cover it up. "I… sorry… I didn't mean…"

Sam laughed. "Caine Soren apologising? Almost worth dying for."

"Don't say that." His expression was fierce.

Sam chose to ignore him. "In answer to your question, that's why I'm here. You and Albert and Edilio can sort something out. I've already spoken to him. Hopefully that's what you wanted."

Caine didn't miss the hint of sarcasm in his voice. Of course, Caine didn't miss anything. His voice was low, and again, surprisingly, genuine. "I hate that you think that's all I care about."

"Isn't it?" The words came out harsher than he meant them to.

Caine leapt up and strode across the two metres dividing them. He shook Sam, hard. He felt the air whistle through his teeth and the world blurred for a second. "What do you take me for? I hate you on principle. Dying in some big fight or battle, sure, that would have been great. I would have won. Taken over your people. But this? Dying so… quietly? Calmly, knowing you're going! I hate this. It's not right. You're _not_ going to die like this."

Sam stood his head and stared up at Caine in astonishment. "Out of all the people to react like this…"

"Shut up and come with me. Now!" He snarled, practically spitting the worlds out. He spun round and around and heading off across the desert towards the town. He stopped, seemed to remember something and turned back slowly. "Can you like, walk and stuff?" He smirked.

"God. Stop patronizing me. I wish we could just go back to killing each other normally, without all these _agreements_ and _pacts_. And by the way, I'm not going to just walk after you like that." Sam spluttered.

"Sorry brother," Caine said, not sounding remotely sorry. "It's not your decision to make any more. I swear on pain of death I'm not doing it to kill you, and I won't kill you today, or even next week." He lowered his voice to a mock dangerous whisper, "Unless you try to struggle. Then I'll-"

"Alright!" Sam interrupted impatiently. "I get it. I'll come. But I'm trusting you on your word. If you try anything I won't hesitate to hurt you." He threatened.

Caine laughed derisively. "Yeah, you wouldn't have the guts to kill me, Sammy. Just get moving."

The walk back to Perdido Beach was spent in near silence with only the soft step of a boy used to being invisible and another translating his anger into attacking the sand with his shoes. Sam was curious to see what the town was like without him. A burnt out wreck? A bustling efficient place that could almost be run by adults? He wanted the kids to need him but and the same time knew he was being selfish. As long as things weren't too running irritatingly smoothly.

Caine, at the moment, didn't know what he wanted or even what to think. Which was sort of a first for him.

As they approached the distant shapes of buildings the air in front of them blurred for a split second and turned into a girl. Sam, who was more used to Taylor popping up out of nowhere, took it pretty well but Caine wasn't so calm. "Taylor. Get back into town and do whatever it is that you're supposed to be doing and aren't. _Don't gossip to anyone about this_." His tone of voice left nothing to argue with Taylor's mouth opened in a little "o" of astonishment and for once, was speechless. A second, and she was gone.

"Was there really any need to scare her like that?" Sam inquired.

"No. No, of course there wasn't. But you can't stop me from doing it." It was childish, even Caine would admit, but there was something satisfying about it. Sam frowned a little. Good.

"Yeah, whatever. No, I can't." he replied , breathing a little heavier than normal. Or was that just Caine's imagination?

* * *

They walked.

"You know what day it is, Caine?"

"Tuesday," he said pedantically

"Shut up."

"Like I'd forget my own birthday. And after such an eventful celebration as last year… well, it's not something easily forgettable, is it?"

"It's my birthday, too."

"I know. You _are_ my twin, in case you had forgotten."

Sam smirked. "No, you're _my _twin. I'm older."

"So? Who cares, anyway?"

"Just sayin'."

* * *

They walked.

"Anything… strange happened yet today?"

"No, Sam. Shut up and just walk."

"Cause I had a strange vision of a green monster wishing me a sweet sixteen. With a cake, and candles, and some Junior mints in a giant can." Caine sighed.

"Really."

"No."

"Somebody's in a good mood. Unfortunately for you, that's not me. Now, just walk. How hard can it be?"

* * *

They walked.

"Dekka decided it would be a good idea to throw me a party, if I make it back alive that is. We're saving some fish and nutella. It should be good. Maybe. Edilio got some time off and I've got a feeling him and Brianna are secretly making decorations. You doing anything fun?"

"Yes."

* * *

They walked.

"Hey, dude."

"Do I look like a "dude" kind of guy to you."

"Nope. So?"

"Sam, will you do me a favour?"

"As a birthday present, me to you, anything."

"Shut up."

* * *

And walked.

"Take the left down Brace Road. It's way quicker."

"Well, that didn't last long, did it?"

"No, honest it's a better way."

"I'm sorry, are you the king of Perdido Beach? Oh no wait, that's me. I think I'm a little better at knowing which way to go in my kingdom."

"Caine, I grew up here. I think I know it a little better than you do."

"It's right."

"I know I'm right."

"No, it's a right turning."

"Left."

"Right."

"Left"

"Right."

* * *

"I told you it was left."

"Sam?"

"Yeah?"

"Shut up."

* * *

Later, much later, they started on their walk back into the Lake in the dark. The sky was starless.

Sam couldn't work out his brother, even a year older. He was a mix. Light and dark, black and white, right and wrong. Wrong most of the time.

But just for now, in this situation, on their birthday, for once, Caine was more true than false.


	4. Incursion

The house they moved into had echoes of another time.

"We lived here for two years," she said, distantly. "Taegan, me, you, David." Him and a dark-haired boy walking across planks. Fighting.

Sam felt like he'd been hammered in the chest. "That was him?"

"It was." He knew what she saw when watching him

Darius just put his hand on Connie's. "Press want to hear from you." He spoke in facts.

"Yes, I'll come." She was composed again. "Sam, you'll have a lot to do." The distance hurt him. But, like his mother said, he had a lot to do.


End file.
